4 December 2013

Malta to serve as Med. port of departure for Mein Schiff 3 for 2014

MaltaIndependent 27/11/2013: TUI Cruises today announced that Malta is to beMein Schiff 3 - the agency’s newly built ship - Mediterranean port of departure for 2014.

The
ship can carry up to 2,500 passengers which should make up for lost
revenue after a number of cruise liners had decided to reduce their port
calls to Malta.

Speaking
in the presence of SMS Shipping Managing Director Simon Mifsud, TUI
Cruises CEO Richard J. Vogel, Valletta Cruise Port chairman Joe Zammit
Tabona, Malta Tourism Authority CEO Josef Formosa Gauci, Tourism
Minister Karmenu Vella said that Tui Cruises does not only use Malta as a
port of call but also as its homeport for its ships.

Malta has been serving as TUI Cruises’Mein Schiff 1andMein Schiff 2port of call since 2010.

He said
that the cruise liner industry is vital for Malta’s economy since it
serves as a first-hand preview of Malta’s product to visitors which may
lead to visitors revisiting the island a second time around.

Mr
Vella said that the success of TUI operation consolidated Malta’s
reputation as a reliable partner for cruise liners, adding that the fact
that TUI Cruises have confirmed it will be homeporting again in Malta
in 2014 and 2015 further consolidates the country’s relationship with
the cruise liner company. (source)